Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabigerol (CBG) are the non-psychoactive compounds found in cannabis that have been associated with lowering anxiety and the potential for pain relief, but new research suggests that CBD and CBG may have another important use—cleaning up and combatting fatty liver, the most widely suffered liver condition.
What Is Fatty Liver Disease (MASLD)?
Fatty liver, known medically as Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), is the most common chronic liver disorder in the world, affecting around a third of adults. When the liver accumulates too much fat, often due to poor lifestyle choices like overeating or drinking too much alcohol, the liver can become scarred and eventually enters the stage of cirrhosis, preventing the liver from functioning correctly.
The liver has phenomenal regenerative powers, so the prognosis of fatty liver can often be reversed by alleviating stress and inflammation, by making healthier choices around nutrition and alcohol intake, but for many, this can be an uphill challenge for a variety of reasons including addiction other mental health issues. That’s why this new study, carried out by the HU School of Pharmacy and published by the British Pharmacological Society, is so exciting. Scientists found that CBD and CBG were able to administer positive effects on the liver through a process called metabolic remodeling, peeking into an encouraging future where a plant-based treatment could one day become the norm. “Our findings identify a new mechanism by which CBD and CBG enhance hepatic energy and lysosomal function,” commented Professor Tam, who led the groundbreaking project. “This dual metabolic remodeling contributes to improved liver lipid handling and highlights these compounds as promising therapeutic agents for MASLD.”
Study: How CBD and CBG May Fight Fatty Liver
The results of administering CBD and CBG showed that each had a profound effect on the liver’s ability to maintain energy under stress. When put under pressure from a negative lifestyle, these compounds could aid the liver by increasing its phosphocreatine levels, providing a reserve to support the liver even under the pressure of a high fat diet. This was an enormously important finding, say the scientists, because the liver does not usually lean on this specific system for providing itself with energy.
In addition to supercharging the liver’s energy reserves, CBD and CBG worked to restore the activity of enzymes known as cathepsins. These act to clean up the liver, so increasing their output is essential in order to expel harmful fats and other toxins. CBD and CBG were also shown to crush harmful lipids like triglycerides and ceramides. The build up of ceramides is of worry because it contributes to insulin resistance.
The study concluded that while both compounds were effective in their own right, each provided slightly different benefits for metabolic health. Both CBD and CBG were able to normalize blood sugar levels and improve how the body clears glucose, noted the team. However, CBG appeared to have a more significant effect on certain metrics. It significantly reduced body fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity more robustly than CBD. CBG was also more effective at lowering total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels.
While these results are very encouraging say the scientists, the team also notes that more work is now required to understand how these findings can best be applied to human patients, potentially opening up a new path for using plant-based compounds as a weapon in the treatment of metabolic conditions.